Changes in Settlement Patterns in the Territory of Gerasa (Jarash): A Synthesis

Among the research themes discussed by David Kennedy in his seminal work, Gerasa and the Decapolis were the changes to settlement patterns through the ages and the reasons for these changes. In this paper, the changes to settlement patterns in Gerasene territory (modern Jarash, in northern Jordan) are reviewed in the context of the settlement history, physical environment, and water management in light of results from recent multidisciplinary research. The study period encompasses the prehistoric period onwards but focuses on the Hellenistic–Umayyad period — referred to by David Kennedy as the ‘Long Classical Millennium’. The research results are drawn from a comprehensive synthesis of the area’s known geology, palaeolandscape, palaeoclimate, water sources, and water management systems. The paper explains the distribution of water sources and discusses the influence of springs, topographic relief, soil distribution, and orographic climatic differences on settlement patterns in two adjacent valleys in Gerasa’s hinterland. The water management systems are described, and strategies that were implemented and adapted to alleviate water stress in the dry season are discussed. The study also highlights the hitherto understudied impacts of water erosion and mass earth movements triggered by climatic and seismic events that continue to this day.